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Seven Pac-12 men’s soccer student-athletes selected in MLS SuperDraft

SAN FRANCISCO – Seven Pac-12 men’s soccer players were selected in the first two rounds of the 2019 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft on Friday. UCLA standout freshman Frankie Amaya was selected with the number one overall pick by FC Cincinnati, becoming the sixth Bruin taken first-overall in the MLS draft and second in the last three years. UCLA boasts twice as many No. 1 draft picks than any other school in the country with Connecticut in second (three). STANFORD’s Tierna Davidson was selected first overall in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) draft, marking the second time since the NWSL college draft started in 2013 that both No. 1 picks came from the same conference. Seven Pac-12 players selected in the first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft is the most since eight league players were picked in the 2014 draft.

CALIFORNIA defender Sam Junqua was drafted No. 8 overall to the Houston Dynamo and UCLA’s midfielder Anderson Asiedu was picked No. 24 by Atlanta United FC to conclude the first round. A pair of OREGON STATE midfielders were drafted in the second round as Hassani Dotson was selected 7th by Minnesota United FC with the 31st overall pick and Don Tchilao was drafted 12th by the Los Angeles Galaxy, going 36th overall. WASHINGTON forward Kyle Coffee was chosen 17th with a 41st overall pick to Real Salt Lake. Stanford midfielder Amir Bashti was drafted 48th overall, claiming the final slot in the second round by reigning MLS Champions Atlanta United FC.

Frankie Amaya was the youngest player in the SuperDraft this year at 18-years-old and was taken with the first overall pick to the expansion club Cincinnati FC. Amaya is the team’s first ever draft pick as they kick-off its first MLS season in 2019. Prior to the draft, he was selected to the 2019 Generation Adidas class, designed for underclassmen and youth national team players, as one of seven players signed to contracts and eligible for the SuperDraft.

The Santa Ana, Calif. native made 10 starts in 14 games during his freshman season at UCLA, in between two call-ups to the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team during the season. Amaya racked in postseason honors including United Soccer Coaches Freshman All-America and second team All-Far West Region honors. He is the first UCLA freshman to earn first team All-Pac-12 status since Jose Hernandez in 2015. Internationally, he helped the U.S. to a CONCACAF U-20 Tournament championship, which ensured the squad a spot in the upcoming U-20 World Cup.

Sam Junqua, a defender from Saratoga, Calif. anchored the Golden Bears backline and earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention in 2018 after leading the Golden Bears with 1,666 minutes played. In 2017, Junqua helped Cal to its best Pac-12 finish in program history with a second-place league finish and made its 19th overall NCAA appearance.

Anderson Asiedu will take his talents to MLS Champion Atlanta United FC after being named MVP of the 2019 MLS combine. The Hoboken N.J. native appeared in 18 games, including 17 starts, as a true senior during the 2018 campaign. He collected second team All-Pac-12 honors in back-to-back season (2017, 2018) for his fourth-consecutive season garnering conference honors, including All-MAAC first team (2016) and second team (2017) while attending Monmouth his first two years.

Hassani Dotson, a midfielder from Federal Way, Wash., played every minute for Oregon State this season, leading the Beavers to it’s fourth NCAA appearance all-time and matched its best Conference finish in program history. Dotson was a force to be reckoned with in the OSU midfield, as the senior was a second team All-Pac-12 honoree and earned conference Player of the Week on Oct. 16.

Don Tchilao a Chandler, Ariz., native was a first team Pac-12 honoree after leading the team with nine assists last season. The senior also scored seven goals to finish the year tied for second in the Conference with 23 points. Tchilao was two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week (Sept. 4, Oct. 30) and earned College Soccer News National Player of the Week on Oct. 29. In 2017, Tchilao was named second team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention.

Kyle Coffee was one of four players to appear in all 20 matches including 13 starts and finished second on the team with 15 points, tallying four goals and seven assists. The Syracuse, Utah native earned first team All-Pac-12 honors, following a second team nod in 2017 and repeated as a second team Pac-12 All-Academic selection. He helped the Huskies make three postseason appearances during his four years in Seattle.

Amir Bashti from Cupertino, Calif., won three national championships and four Pac-12 titles during his time on The Farm. The forward was a third-team All-American and All-Pac-12 first team pick after scoring career-high seven goals and dishing out six assists last season. Bashti played in 88 matches during his career, tied with Lee Morrison (1998-2001) for the most in program history.

Rounds three and four of the MLS SuperDraft will be conducted via conference call.